Call-Out: This is for you Dundee (Schools) - Dundee Rep ...

Call-Out: This is for you Dundee (Schools)

This is for you Dundee (Schools)
(Applications open until 5pm on Monday 22nd February 2021)

Dundee Rep and Scottish Dance Theatre (DRSDT) are looking to
commission six Artists to work in schools in order to deliver creative
experiences that support the health and well-being of children and young
people during these challenging times.

Our theatre has been shut since March and since then we have been
exploring new ways to reach our audiences and support our community.
Highlights have included our digital programme ‘Where are you,
Dundee?’ (Ref www.whereareyoudundee.com) and Digital Buzz which
continues to bring together our weekly participants in an online creative
adventure. We produced ‘Shine On' as an alternative Christmas season
across the city and have made various pieces of site specific film work
such as ‘Every Map has a Scale’ and an extract of ‘Tay Bridge’ for the
Scotsman sessions.

Our current project This is for you Dundee will see six original
performances pop-up in outdoor spaces across the city through the
Spring (restrictions dependent) and This is for you Dundee (Schools) is
a new development of this strand of work. It will enable Artists to work
directly with children and young people in residency in a school
community.

We are hoping to attract applications from artists that work in Dance,
Drama or Music.

We are not looking for artists with a fixed idea of what they would like to
make but that have a clarity of how they would like to work that best
meets the needs of children and young people at this time.

Specific project plans and delivery patterns will be negotiated between
artists and schools but we anticipate the project to be delivered between
April – December 2021.

Details of micro commission:

  • We are offering six artist micro- commissions with a budget of
    £5,000 each. The awards are to pay artists for their own time to
    work with a school on a self-negotiated project between April –
    December 2021 (delivery pattern tbc) as well some additional
    training days.
  • There is no expectation of a production or final outcome attached
    to the fee.
  • Selected Artists will be matched directly with a school in the
    Dundee area.
  • Artists will receive support in project planning and budgeting from
    the Project Manager from Dundee Rep and Scottish Dance
    Theatre.
  • All residencies will be promoted in the context of DRSDT's
    alternative seasons of work.
  • Where possible DRSDT will provide some photography and video
    documentation for promotional purposes.
  • All commissioned artists will be invited to take part in support
    sessions with an Associate Director in order to develop a
    community approach to making work for the city and to develop a
    connected network of artists.

Given the current uncertainty, we expect Artists to be flexible and
responsive in their approach to working in schools and to delivery and
in-keeping with governmental guidelines as they develop.

The current plan is for artists to work live with children in schools
although should learning need to remain online we would ask them to be
prepared to work digitally in collaboration with the school.

Selection criteria:

We are inviting interest from artists working with Dance, Drama or Music
with a practice in creative learning and a passion for engaging with
young people.

We are hoping to attract artists local to Dundee, Tayside and
surrounding areas where possible.

We are looking for artists that understand the specific challenges facing
schools just now and that believe in the role of the Arts as a tool to
support the health and well-being of children and young people in
particularly challenging times.

We want to work with artists that can be flexible and responsive to the
changing needs of a school community and who can bring a set of skills,
ideas and a clarity of purpose to a project without knowing exactly how it
might develop.

This opportunity is open to artists in all stages of their career, but not to
students at this time.

Applications will be assessed on the clarity and strength of their ideas
and an ability to discuss how best to work with schools in this very
specific time.

We recognise there are barriers to working in the arts and that these
challenges are experienced more acutely by some people. We are
committed to increasing the diversity of artists working in our sector and
especially welcome applications from those who identify as having
characteristics currently under-represented in our sector. This includes
disabled people, those with parental responsibilities and people from
working-class backgrounds. We are particularly keen on supporting
people of colour and those from minority ethnic backgrounds.

All successful artists will be required to supply evidence of their PVG
scheme membership.

How to apply:

We recognise that some application processes can be a barrier for some
people and that there are a number of additional challenges in the
present context. We would like to make the process as clear and
accessible as possible and propose two stages of application.

Stage 1:

   • Submit a short description* (max 250 words) on a possible way
     you would work with children in a primary school context.

• Submit a short description* (max 250 words) on a possible way
     you would work with children in a secondary school context.
   • Submit a short description* (max 250 words) of how you would
     work digitally if required.

*We are also happy accept these descriptions in video format and in this
case would ask that you upload these to a trusted site and send a
secure link and password to us in your application.

Please also include a link to more information about yourself and your
practice or attach a CV. We would also encourage you to tell us if you
identify as sharing one or more of the prioritised characteristics we
outlined above.

All applicants will be reviewed by a panel of DRSDT artistic team and
teachers and a short list will be taken through to Stage 2.

Stage 2:

   • All shortlisted applicants will be invited to a 15-minute Zoom
     interview on Friday 12th March 2021 where you will be asked to
     talk more about your ideas for working with children and young
     people in schools at this time. You will also be asked to share
     details of any specific support you feel would need to take on the
     project.

The Zoom panel will involve three members of the DRSDT artistic team,
the project manager and two teachers from participating Dundee
schools.

Application Support:

If you would like any of this information in a different format or require
further support in making an application, please contact us directly.
Please also tell us about any access requirements you may have to
support you to undertake this project.

Applications should be returned by email to
SMulligan@dundeereptheatre.co.uk by Monday 22nd February 2021.
You will hear about the short list decisions by Monday 29th February
2021 and about the final commissioning outcomes by Monday 15th
March 2021.